The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this in a statement posted on X on Monday, following a meeting with Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera.
According to the minister, the collaboration will be implemented under Norway’s Blue Justice initiative, which supports efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Oyetola said the use of satellite data would improve Nigeria’s ability to monitor maritime activities, detect vessels operating covertly and identify suspected offenders for enforcement action.
He noted that illegal fishing by foreign trawlers was depleting the country’s marine resources, placing local fishers and businesses at a disadvantage and depriving the government of legitimate revenue.
“It is unacceptable that fish harvested from our waters through illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are brought back into Nigeria and sold to our people at exorbitant prices,” the minister said.
He stressed that the government would not allow illegal operators to continue exploiting the country’s fisheries at the expense of fishing communities and the long-term sustainability of aquatic resources.
“We will not allow illegal operators to undermine the livelihoods of our fishermen, deprive Nigeria of legitimate revenue or threaten the sustainability of our aquatic resources,” Oyetola said.
The minister added that the partnership was part of broader efforts to strengthen the management of Nigeria’s marine resources and ensure they contribute to national economic development without undermining the sustainability of fish stocks.
He said the government was also working to boost domestic fish production, reduce reliance on imports, generate employment and conserve foreign exchange.
The adoption of satellite-based monitoring is expected to provide authorities with additional tools to detect suspicious vessel movements and improve enforcement against illegal fishing and other maritime offences.
